Describing a problem: Sometimes you just have to say it out loud

Whenever I think of this phrase, the image that always pops up is that of John Cusak holding up a boombox, playing a song to his love played by Ione Skye in the movie Say Anything. Sometimes you just have to say it out loud.

That phrase, I think, is what Step2 is mostly about. Often when we struggle over problems, we think about it alone, turning it over and over in our heads. We try to make out an image of a solution that will make the problem disappear. We examine the problem by ourselves because we think it will give space to clearly think. We seek peace in solitude, away from pressing matters caused by or related to the problem.

It turns out that as much as we understand a problem and work it through, we use many parts of the brain. It greatly depends on the problem and how your are working through it. However, the part of the brain we use to talk is largely in one area called Broca's Area. By talking about it, the information that is being processed in many parts of the brain is now processed by one part. This part of the brain probably processes the problem in a different way. It may string together separate thoughts in order for you to be able to explain it someone. Sometimes, in doing this, the problem's solution may become apparent or that the problem becomes clearer. This often leads to the part when you stop in the middle of describing a problem and suddenly realize a solution or a new way of looking at it.We also make an assumption that other people who are involved in solving a problem also know and understand the problem as we do. Since we have spent a lot of time in our head looking and examining the problem, we tend to forget that others do not share our experience. What we see may be different than what they see. So we need to describe the problem to them. This brings us back to the focusing of our brain. But with sharing, now two or more brains are processing the information. Sharing our problems with others can result in them offering another opinion. Someone listening to us explain the problem may not share our conclusions and offer their take on it. They can also share their similar experience and offer possible solutions, those we would not have found by ourselves.
So, talking about it with others brings two direct benefits. A focus of your thinking power and alternate perspective. It may just also bring us closer together.